Villenage

Pronunciation: /ˈvɪlɪnɪdʒ/

Definitions of villenage

noun a feudal system in which a lord allowed people to farm his land in exchange for military protection or other services

Example Sentences

A1 In the Middle Ages, villenage was a system where peasants worked the land of a lord in exchange for protection.

A2 The decline of villenage in Europe led to the rise of a more modern system of land ownership.

B1 Villenage was a form of feudalism that existed in England during the medieval period.

B2 The relationship between the lord and the peasants in villenage was often characterized by obligations and duties.

C1 Historians debate the exact nature of villenage and its impact on the social structure of medieval society.

C2 The complexities of villenage as a socio-economic system are still being studied by scholars today.

Examples of villenage in a Sentence

formal Villenage was a system of servitude in medieval Europe where peasants were bound to work on their lord's land.

informal Back in the day, villenage meant peasants had to work on the lord's land.

slang Villenage was like being stuck in a never-ending work contract.

figurative The modern office felt like a villenage with its endless tasks and demands.

Grammatical Forms of villenage

• past tense: villenaged
• plural: villenages
• comparative: more villenage
• superlative: most villenage
• present tense: villenages
• future tense: will villenage
• perfect tense: have villenaged
• continuous tense: is villenaging
• singular: villenage
• positive degree: villenage
• infinitive: to villenage
• gerund: villenaging
• participle: villenaged

Origin and Evolution of villenage

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old French

Story behind the word: The word 'villenage' originated from the Old French word 'villenage' which was derived from the Latin word 'villanus' meaning 'farmhand'.

Evolution of the word: Initially used to describe the feudal system where peasants were bound to work on their lord's land, 'villenage' evolved over time to refer to the status of a villein, a tenant of a lord who had certain obligations in exchange for the use of land.